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The Israeli authorities has determined to not impose new restrictions on entry to a key mosque in Jerusalem in the course of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, a transfer that would ease tensions at a web site that has lengthy been a middle of unrest.
At a gathering led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday night time, safety officers determined to permit the identical variety of worshipers to enter the Aqsa Mosque complicated throughout Ramadan as they’ve in earlier years, Mr. Netanyahu's workplace stated. Have been. Ramadan, which begins with the sighting of the crescent moon, is anticipated to start in a number of days.
Israel has lengthy restricted entry to the compound, which is holy to Muslims and Jews alike, to Palestinians from the Israeli-occupied West Financial institution throughout Ramadan. This yr, far-right Nationwide Safety Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir referred to as on the federal government to impose limits on Arab residents of Israel as effectively.
Tuesday's determination ended the plan promoted by Mr. Ben-Gvir, but it surely allowed some leeway. “Security and safety points can be assessed weekly; A call can be taken accordingly,” a press release from the Prime Minister's Workplace stated.
The mosque complicated has been the positioning of normal violent clashes. The confrontation on the web site contributed to the outbreak of the 11-day battle between Israel and Hamas in Might 2021.
As Ramadan approaches and the present Israel-Hamas battle enters its sixth month, fears of escalating tensions on the web site have intensified. On Tuesday, President Joe Biden stated that if a ceasefire settlement just isn’t reached by Ramadan, “it's going to be very harmful.”
Mansour Abbas, an Arab Israeli member of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, praised the choice. “I congratulate the Prime Minister on the accountable determination to grant freedom of worship to Muslim worshipers on the Al Aqsa Mosque,” he wrote on Twitter.
Nonetheless, Mr Ben-Gvir expressed concern that the choice would undermine Israel's effort to destroy the terrorist group Hamas, which attacked Israel on October 7. “Hamas celebration on the Temple Mount ≠ absolute victory,” he wrote on the X, the identify utilized by Jews to check with Al Aqsa.
Hamas had beforehand condemned any Israeli restrictions on worship at Al Aqsa. On Monday, a Hamas chief referred to as on Palestinians to show the mosque right into a web site of confrontation.
Beirut-based Hamas chief Osama Hamdan informed a convention of Muslim students through video that Palestinians within the Israeli-occupied West Financial institution and Jerusalem should “flip each second of Ramadan right into a battle and confrontation with the enemy to defend Al Aqsa.” Wanted.”
In Muslim custom, the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven from the Al Aqsa web site, and 1000’s of Muslims go to the mosque daily throughout Ramadan. For Jews, the world is as revered because the Temple Mount as a result of it was the positioning of two Jewish temples in historical occasions that stay central to Jewish identification.
Matthew Mpoke Huge Contributed to the reporting.